The Next Career Chapter

Well, it finally came. After more than ten months, I received and agreed to a job offer. I start on March 1 doing communications for OntarioMD. It is one of the organizations I targeted from the beginning of my job search. It's a great fit and I consider myself to be very lucky and blessed.

My first feeling is incredible relief. It has been so long and in some ways taken so much out of me. It is easy to criticize those who are out of work for years or on welfare by the easy quip of just get a job. But long-term unemployment chips away at your pride and self-esteem. I felt I had a gift - the skills I developed for over twenty years. And yet, nobody seemed to want them. That was really hard. So imagine if you have not been working or doing well with your education - the ditch feels that much deeper to get out of. I have a better appreciation of how paralysis can sink in.

Following relief, I have become increasingly happy to be able to get back. Again, I feel I have a gift to give through my work and now I have a chance to do that. It's what I really want to do.

Finally, I tried to make it a point to thank everyone who helped me out with leads, suggestions, advice, encouragement, presence or prayers. It took me most of a week to send messages to everyone. So I am amazed at how many people tried to help me and be there for me. It is a great feeling to know that you are not alone during tougher times.

Finally, I know that diving into the day to day challenges of my new job will lead me to forget some of my lessons. I hope that some wisdom will remain from these months. In many ways, it was a wonderful sabbatical and I am happy at the way I used my time, the things I did, the skills I learned and the people I met. I hope I can cherish those memories and learnings for a long time. I'm not quite sure how to do it, but I know it's important.

Thanks for reading and for helping me to this new starting point!